Muzzled
by TatorTotTottish
Summary: When Nick Wilde runs into the Junior Ranger Scouts who bullied him as a kid, he is forced to face painful childhood memories, all while he and Judy Hopps find themselves on a case that threatens to tear them apart. Based on an idea by Bgnsteal. JudyxNick
1. Chapter 1

"I'm going to go pick up some food. Can I get you anything, Darling?"

"Veggie Meal."

"Gotcha." Nick Wilde swiveled out of his chair and exited his cubicle in the Zootopia Police Department offices, before grabbing the keys to the ZPD SUV that he and his partner, Judy Hopps, had been assigned. He and Judy had spent the day filling out paperwork and taking calls, and frankly, they were beyond bored. Judy didn't really mind a slow workday, because she still felt as if she were making the world a better place, but Nick didn't feel the same. Rather than actually working, he spent the day stacking pens in little pyramids, making sculptures out of paperclips, and covering Judy's cubicle walls in sticky-notes (before she yelled at him, of course). After a while, Nick couldn't bare the silence any longer, letting his hunger take over. He had spun his chair over to Judy's cubicle and began poking her arm until she looked up at him with an expression that could kill. "I'm hungry," he had whined, making her scrunch her nose in frustration. "That's not my problem," she replied. Thus, beginning a ten-minute argument over whether or not Nick was really hungry or if he was just trying to get out of work. Finally, Judy gave in and Nick was announcing his exit.

Now, he was on his way to their favorite little diner, where if you knew the grizzly bear chef, you were cooked the best individual specialty meal in all of Zootopia. The two usually ordered the same thing each time: a Veggie Meal and a Predator Meal, both perfectly fit to their individual tastes. It was impossible to count how many memories Judy and Nick had made over meals from that diner. On the drive over, the traffic was hectic, but that didn't stop Nick; he simply slid his sunglasses over his eyes and turned on the SUV's police sirens, instantly clearing a path. Even being a cop didn't keep Nick from being a hustler. If Judy had been there, she would have given him a look of pure dismay. Well, honestly, if Judy were there, she would have been driving, so the situation would have never occurred. Nick smiled at the thought of her.

Once at the diner, Nick politely greeted the white-tailed doe hostess before making his way past her to the kitchen, where an over-sized grizzly bear waited with his food. At the sight of Nick, a large toothy grin dawned on the bear's face. "'Ay, Nicky, boy! Got your orda here! How's your gurl doing?"

"Her name is Judy, Griz, and she's good."

"How long's it been now, huh? Since you... well, you know!" Nick laughed as he slicked back his ears with his paw. "Three months now."

"'Ay, that a boy!" Nick let his famous smirk settle over his face as he gave a small shrug. "What can I say?"

Every time the two picked up food from the diner, the massive bear would always ask how things were going in their budding relationship; Griz was a natural gossip. Nick would always try to keep the conversation short and sweet, simply because he enjoyed his relationship with Judy when it only involved Judy. He wasn't afraid to go public with what they had, he just thought it was easier - even better - when it was just the two of them. After three months of dating, the only person who had picked up on the fact that they were involved was Griz, but Nick had a feeling it was only a matter of time before Clawhauser caught on.

With a final nod at the bear, Nick grabbed the bags of food and began making his way out of the diner, weaving his way through the customers who were swarming the place for their lunch hour. "Thanks, Dawn," Nick said as he smiled and nodded towards the young hostess that he and Judy had come to know over the last few months, as they consistently ate at the diner after work. "Thanks, Nick. Say 'hi' to Judy for me."

"Will do," Nick replied as he turned, but not really paying attention to his surrounding, he bumped into the next customers who were waiting to be seated. "Oh, sorry about that, uh—?"

A zebra in a navy business suit and white tie reached out and shook his paw. "Jim, Jim Plains," he stated in a deep powerhouse voice. Nick glanced behind him to get a look at the rest of his group: a hippopotamus, a donkey, and a bank vole, all looking as if life had been good to them. "Uh, Nick, Nick Wilde. Sorry about that Mr. Plains," Nick stated. "Oh, not problem at all Officer Wilde." Behind the zebra, the bank vole spoke up. "Wait, _Nicholas_ Wilde?"

"Uh, yes, but I go by Nick—"

"Nick, it's been some time!" the hippopotamus exclaimed, cutting him off. Nick fixed him with a perplexed look. "I'm sorry?"

"You don't remember us?" the donkey asked, now piping up. Nick shook his head slowly, starting to grow suspicious. "From the Junior Ranger Scouts?" The zebra laughed as he nudged the donkey with a hoof. "Oh, yeah! Well, I thought he looked familiar!"

Nick froze, unsure of what to do, while the group continued chatting.

… "Look at you, a cop!" … "It's been so long!" … "How have you been, Nick?" … "Hey, remember the muzzle? Those were wild times." …

The world seemed to spin, yet move slowly all at the same time. Nick felt his breathing become more shallow and rapid, and he found himself clutching at his chest as he fought for air. The group that had ridiculed him, savagely beat him, made fun of him, and then muzzled him now stood laughing as if the current situation was a reunion of some sort. Nick felt his body folding in on itself as he watched the group converse, not noticing him. Nick dropped the bags of food, their contents spilling on the floor.

"Nick, is everything okay?" The hostess's voice seemed distant, as if he were dreaming; in a way, he was dreaming, but rather than a dream, this was a nightmare.

"Judy," was all that Nick could say, was all that he could think of. Without a second thought, Nick was pushing past the group, trying not to slip on the spilt salad that littered the floor. The group, who was finally paying attention to the reaction he was having, attempted to stop him; they called after him in an effort, but he was already racing out of the diner and towards the SUV. He fumbled with his phone as he ran, quickly dialing Judy's number.

"Hello?" Her beautiful voice came over the speakers.

" _Carrots!_ "

"Nick? What's wrong?" Nick had made it to the car, quickly shutting himself inside and locking the doors, his panic attack taking full affect now that he was alone. "Judy, in the diner – scouts – recognized me."

"Nick, Nick, slow down. I can't understand you. Take deep breaths." Back at the ZPD, Judy was already out in the lobby, motioning at Clawhauser. "I need a back up car now, it's an emergency," she whispered to him.

"The Junior Ranger Scouts, Rabbit! They were at the diner! They saw me - they _knew_ me!

"The Scouts from when you were a kid?"

" _Yes!_ " Judy inhaled deeply, not sure what to do. "Judy? _Judy?_ "

"Nick, stay there, I'm coming to get you."

"You don't have a car—"

"I've got it handled. Stay on the phone with me. It's going to be okay. I want you to take deep breaths and try to relax. I'll be there soon." Nick leaned back against his seat and attempted to control his breathing. "Please hurry, Judy. Just hurry."


	2. Chapter 2

"I just can't believe this is happening…"

"Nick, sit down. You're wearing a path in the floor from all of the pacing you keep doing."

"How can this be happening?" He was talking to himself more than her.

In the simplest of terms, Nick was losing it. However, in his offense, it was justified. Judy had arrived at the coffee shop to find Nick curled in a ball in the driver's seat earlier that day. It had taken almost an hour to calm him down enough to bring him back to his apartment, well _their_ apartment; Judy had moved in a week prior, simply because it was a waste of money to pay rent on her own apartment when she spent the majority of her time at Nick's place. To most, moving in with one another was a big step in a relationship, but Judy and Nick had practically taken that step naturally over time, as they grew to know one another better. Technically, Judy had moved in weeks before they started dating. After calming Nick down, Judy had called to let Clawhauser know to let the Chief know that they wouldn't be returning to work, and that someone should be sent to pick up the car she had borrowed to get to Nick. No one had asked her any questions, which she was grateful for. Ever since they had gotten home, Nick had been pacing, talking, and panicking. Judy let him get his emotions out, but it was beginning to grow late, and Nick was well on his way to working himself up to the point of another panic attack.

"Well, honestly, it was only a matter of time," she stated, answering the question he didn't really ask her. "Did you really think you would never see them again?"

"Yes!"

"Oh, Nick." Judy sat on his – correction: their – small retro style couch that rested against a beige wall opposite of Nick, who was pacing on the other side of the coffee table that separated them, right in front of a flat screen TV that hung on the wall. The living room conjoined with a small kitchen that was divided by a counter attached to the wall, and if you followed the wooden floors in between the living room and the kitchen, you would find yourself in a hallway that linked to the bathroom and Nick's bedroom. Yes, it was _Nick's_ bedroom; Judy slept on the couch. That's just how they functioned – there really wasn't any explaining it. There was takeout food littering the kitchen counter, still uneaten.

"I just can't believe this," Nick sighed as he ran his paw over his face. The fur on his ears and head were becoming more ruffled each time he did that, and he was doing it _a lot_. His light green Hawaiian shirt was extremely crinkled, giving him a very disheveled appearance.

"Nick, honey, just sit down."

"I don't know what to do!"

"Wait, there's something to do?" Nick stopped mid-pace and looked at Judy with a very offended frown. "What do you mean 'there's something to do?'"

"Well, you haven't seen them since you were a kid. It took two decades for you to run into them in a diner. What makes you think you're going to see them again, much less anytime soon?"

"They're going to be looking for me!"

"But how do you know that?"

"I-I… I don't." Nick looked down at his feet. "And that bothers you." A statement, not a question. Nick looked up at her, not really sure how to reply. Judy stood and walked over to where he stood, slightly slouched.

"I know you're frustrated," she whispered. "But we're going to figure this out." She reached up a paw and brushed the side of Nick's face, settling some of the tousled fur. Nick turned his face to immediately avoid her touch.

"There's no _we_ in this."

"W-what?" Judy pulled back, wrapping her paws around herself. "This is my thing, Carrots."

"You can't be serious. We're a team!" Judy scoffed in an astonished tone. Nick sighed. "Not this time, I have to do this on my own."

"No, you don't! You can do this with me!" Nick turned and grabbed the SUV car keys off of the coffee table. "Where are you going? Nick?" Nick walked to the door, pausing with his paw on the handle. He turned and looked back at Judy, who hadn't moved. Her long ears were drooping.

"I have to figure this out… on my own."

"You're not being rational, let's just sit down and talk about this."

"I've already made up my mind."

"What are you even talking about? Where are you going?"

"To figure things out."

"You can figure them out _here_!" Judy yelled, her temper rising. Both could tell that a fight was forming. Nick and Judy didn't fight often. Granted, they squabbled now and then, but they rarely had fights that escalated. The last time they had really fought was after Judy's incident with a suspect; that fight had ended with Nick walking out. Now here they were all over again, Nick ready to leave once more. A twinge of heartache pained Nick has his thoughts wandered back to that fight before replying.

"No, I can't. Let me just think for a little while."

"Why do you have to leave to think about this? You're staying here, Nick."

"I _don't want_ to stay here!" His snarl echoed through the apartment. An unsettling silence fell over them, as Judy's eyes filled with tears. "Carrots, that's not what I meant—"

"No, it is what you meant." Tears streamed down her face. "Just go," she cried. "Judy… don't cry, I can stay here."

"But you _don't want_ to!" Judy was on the verge of sobbing now, letting her anger direct her emotions at Nick, her paws clenched in tight fists. "No, I do—"

"Do _not_ lie to me!" she screamed. "How dumb do you think I am?" Nick shook his head, looking for the words to fix the situation he had caused. Judy let out a dark laugh that was a slight hiccup. "Oh, right. I forgot. I'm just a dumb bunny." Nick's ears went flat against his head, tears threatening to spill from his own eyes. "Judy, no—"

"Get out."

"Judy—"

"Actually," Judy looked at him, tears staining her face. "I'll go."

"What? No, let's discuss this." Judy walked towards him with determination, her paw out as she reached for the keys to the ZPD SUV. "Give me the keys," she demanded in a voice thick with emotion. Nick held them just out of her reach. "Can we please talk?"

"We're done talking. _Give me the keys, Nick._ " At her tone, and the look in her bright amethyst eyes, Nick regrettably handed her the keys to the car. "At least tell me where you're going," he breathed.

"Home." With that final word, Judy slammed the door behind her, leaving Nick all alone in his apartment for the first time in months.


	3. Chapter 3

_Beep._

"Hey, Carrots. It's uh, it's me. Call me back when you get the chance."

…

 _Beep._

"Hey, me again, just checking in. Call me back."

…

 _Beep._

"So how are Mr. and Mrs. Carrots doing, huh? How about your, what was it again? 275 siblings? How are they? Just wondering."

…

 _Beep._

"It's, uh, it's been a couple of days now. Kinda lonely without my partner, you know?"

…

 _Beep._

"Look, Rabbit, I'm sorry. Really, I am. _Please_ call me back. I want to talk about this."

Nick disconnected the line and stared at his phone that had remained silent for five days now. No calls, no messages, no emails, no video calls, no voicemails, _nothing_. Judy had left and hadn't said a word since. Nick had no idea if she had even made it back to Bunnyburrow, but he wasn't about to do more than try and contact her. Nick knew that she needed her space, that she wasn't contacting him for a reason; he chose to believe that she was safe and could handle herself, but that didn't mean it made him feel any better. He had left her about a dozen texts and calls a day since she left, all of which remained cold and lonely as they continued to be unanswered.

 _Beep._

"It's been a week. Can't we just talk about this? I need to at least know that you're safe! You know I'm sorry; _please_ , _please_ , call me back! Carrots, _please_."

…

 _Beep._

"Everyone wants to know where you are, how you are doing. I keep telling them you're at home on a vacation, just checking in on your family, but we both know that I am not even sure of that. J-just call me back – no, actually, you _need_ to call me back! You need to call me back like right now! This is getting ridiculous, you have me worried sick!"

…

 _Beep._

"I don't want to fight, you don't want to fight, so why are we acting like we are fighting…I love you, you know that… right?"

Three weeks had gone by and things were falling into a depressed chaos at the ZPD. The Chief was on Nick's back in an attempt to understand why, where, when, and how Judy had left and gone. Nick couldn't help but feel as if everyone blamed him for her mysterious disappearance, and technically, they should; he did. Without Judy, the ZPD just seemed so bland, so boring. Nick stuck to paperwork the majority of the time, refusing to go and take up a case without his partner… if she still was that. At this point, he couldn't even be sure they were still dating.

 _Beep._

"Okay, I get the message. You don't want to talk to me, and that's fine, but at least let the Chief in on what you're up to, okay?"

…

 _Beep._

"I was just thinking about those blueberries your family grows. Did I ever tell you how good they are? Not that you have to bring me back any! I was just thinking about them."

…

 _Beep._

Nick sighed and disconnected the call before leaving a voicemail. He was tired of talking to nothing but a machine. Seated on his couch, Nick looked around at the mess the apartment had become. Filthy dishes covered almost every surface, while clothes and blankets were strewn across the floor. To say that he wasn't sleeping or eating well would be an understatement; Nick was an absolute wreck, and he knew it. He hadn't been to the diner, the coffee shop, her apartment, or any other place that made him think of her too heavily, but it was still difficult. In the simplest of terms, he was depressed, and only Judy could help him.

 _Beep._

"So what's Bunnyburrow like this time of year? I'm sure it's beautiful, but I wouldn't know. Work's crazy. I'm pretty sure everyone there thinks I ate you or something awful… but hey, if you want to let them think that, _fine_."

…

 _Beep._

"I'm not mad, I just want to know you're okay and that you're doing well. You can take care of yourself, I get that, but I still would like you to call me back."

…

 _Beep._

"Carrots? At least tell me you're getting these messages…"

On the third day of the fourth week, Nick didn't go into work that day; he didn't even get out of bed. The pressure from the Chief and whether or not Judy was safe was too much to deal with, so staying at home became naturally appealing. Around mid-morning, Nick picked up his phone and dialed Judy's number, listening to each dial tone, knowing that he would hear them all. When it got to the end of the call, and Judy hadn't picked up, Nick sighed as he waited to hear the instructions to leave a voicemail, but they never came. Instead, there was a pause on the other end of the call. Nick sat up, his heart beating rapidly.

"Judy?"

" _We're sorry, but the voicemail inbox is currently full. Please try again another time,_ " the answering machine replied in a robotic voice. Nick let his phone slide from his ear and drop down onto the mattress next to him, anger steadily rising within. He had been patient for over four weeks; he had called, he had messaged, he had covered for her, but this time, he was _done_. As the fury began boiling his blood to a point of no return, Nick picked his phone back up off of the bed, his ears pressed flat against his head as he began tapping applications. He opened up the messages he had been sending to Judy for the last few weeks and began typing a new one. She would get this message, whether or not she wanted to.

After four months, five days, three hours, and twenty-two minutes of officially dating, and after ten months, eleven days, seven hours, and fifty-one minutes of being partners and friends, Nick typed out " _we're done_ " and sent it.


	4. Chapter 4

"You've got to be kidding me! I'm not going down there!"

"Let me be perfectly clear, Wilde: You. Are. Going."

"And let _me_ be perfectly clear: _No!_ "

"Do you want to lose that badge?"

"I've lost so much already, what's the difference this time?" The Chief's expression softened slightly, but he was still maintaining a cold posture as he stood leaning forward, his front two hooves resting on his large mahogany desk. "Wilde, you can't tell me you don't care."

"That's the problem! I do care! Send anyone else, but not me!"

"I need to know that she's okay, and besides, there's a farmer down there claiming that he has had some crops stolen."

"Why am I the only animal for this?"

"You are the only one she'll listen to." Nick scoffed and slammed himself into one of the two cushioned chairs in front of the Chief's desk. "Yeah. She listens to me," he muttered darkly. "I don't know what you and Hopps have going on, and frankly, I don't care, but I do care that I have lost one of my best officers."

"You don't care what we have going on? You seemed interested in what we had going on five months ago when she showed up to work in my shirt," Nick growled. "Don't overstep, Wilde! I chose to take your word on that subject – don't make me regret it! If you and Hopps have overstepped boundaries, I have chosen to look the other way, but do _not_ cost me an officer, Wilde, or you'll see me overstep my boundaries!" The Chief slammed his hooves against the wood, the sound echoing off of the walls in the small office. " _Send. Someone. Else_ ," Nick growled dangerously, his claws scratching the arms of the chair he sat ramrod straight in. The two locked eyes menacingly, both dead if looks could kill.

It had been two months since Judy had left, and one month since Nick had sent the text that ended it all. She had never contacted anyone after she had left, and had never replied to Nick's message. The Chief was losing his mind over her absence, while Nick already had. Nick had reached a stage of being completely depleted of all of the emotions he had had when she first left him in their – his – apartment. He had grieved; he had been shocked when she left, he had felt the pain and the guilt of losing her, he had become angry, he had been depressed, and he was currently trying to turn his life around while still struggling with his depression. No, he wasn't close to moving on, and he didn't think he ever would move on, but that wasn't what mattered; he just needed to go on with living normally. Now here he was, arguing with the Chief over going down to Bunnyburrow. All of the officers who had ever interacted with Judy, including the Chief, were convinced that she was in trouble, that something had happened to her and that she never arrived at the Bunnyburrow Monorail Station. For the first two months, Nick had kept them at bay, answering all of their questions with straight lies, but they were now growing increasingly anxious. Nick knew better. Judy had made it, she had seen the calls, the voicemails, the messages, and she had ignored them. He knew because he had called Judy's mother to double check that she had made it. Finding her contact information in Judy's police files, he had called Bonnie Hopps a few weeks after Judy's exit, when he was feeling the pain and guilt of her loss, and her mother only confirmed it: Judy was safe and comfy in little Bunnyburrow. Nick wasn't cruel, he obviously checked to make sure that his girlfriend – that Judy – was safe, he just hadn't told the Chief because that meant admitting that he had lost her… and he had. Nick knew it was over, even before he sent that message to her confirming it, and that only twisted the dagger that had already been embedded into his chest.

His emotions mixed when he thought of the situation. He was furious that she had left him when he needed her most, and even though he understood that he was being dependent on her more than usual, he thought she could handle it. He was upset with himself for fighting with her, for saying the things he said. He was upset with her for not talking to him and trying to mend things. It was official: Nick was grieving the loss of his life mate, the life mate who probably wasn't even giving him a second thought.

Tears stung his eyes as he sat in that cushioned chair in front of his boss, who had only hired him because of Judy. Looking down at his shirt, Nick rubbed a paw over his face as he mulled the situation over. "Fine. I'll go," he murmured. "Thank you," the Chief stated gruffly. "Bring her back to us, Wilde." Nick stood and made direct eye contact with the Chief. "I'll go, but she won't come back, Chief," Nick stated firmly. "I'm going because I have a few things to say to her, not because I'm trying to get her back. That's her decision." With that, Nick left the Chief with a surreal expression, and set out for Bunnyburrow. After a quick stop home to grab a suitcase and fill it with a few items he would need, Nick left. He didn't want to drive their – his – ZPD SUV, so he set out on a course for the Zootopia Monorail Station.

It was a ride that lasted a little over two hours, which wasn't too bad; what was bad was trying to figure out what he was going to say to her once he saw her. What had she told her family? Did they hate him? Did she hate him? Did he hate her? No, he was just… well, he didn't know what he was, but what should he say? Should he talk about the last few weeks, or act like nothing had happened? Should he play the role of a friend, a work partner, or an ex-boyfriend? He was all three… maybe; he still didn't know if they were friends, and their partnership wasn't very strong lately, but they definitely weren't dating. Nick shook his head as he attempted to clear his muddled thoughts. "Don't think, just go with it," he whispered to himself as he watched the scenery fly by outside of the monorail large windows. The trip seemed extremely short, and in what seemed like minutes, the monorail was pulling into the Bunnyburrow Monorail Station. The doors slid open, and Nick exited the monorail only to find himself on the platform, which was swarming with smaller animals, mainly bunnies. Nick smirked at the looks he was given by most of the animals there. He hadn't seen the "ugh, a _fox_ " look in a while, but he had expected that upon arrival. Nick knew where he was going; he had been here before. He had met Judy's parents and all 275 of her siblings, who had mauled him as if he were a shiny new toy. He had eaten dinner with them, had stayed in their home, had toured their farm, and now here he was, getting ready to go back in a most unsavory manner.

Ten minutes later, he was standing in front of Judy's home, a large above ground burrow that sat in front of acres of field that was ripe with carrot stems shooting out of the ground. Taking a deep breath, he let his paw knock on the wooden door. Voices could be heard inside as soon as Nick's paw went back down to his side.

"I'll get it!" Nick inhaled deeply; that was her, and she was going to answer the door any second now. Standing straight and putting a smirk on his face, Nick prepared for the show. The door opened swiftly, and there she was, in color washed jeans and a white button-up shirt that had the sleeves rolled up. She was smiling, at first. Nick could tell that she had been excited to open the door, ecstatic to interact with an animal, and then she saw Nick. The look she gave him was hard to describe; it was a mix of shock, chagrin, hostility, fatigue, anxiety, and heartbreak all in one. Nick let his usual smirk rest on his face as he hid his emotions, while watching hers play across her face in a flash.

"Nick," was all that she could say. Wasn't a question, wasn't a greeting, wasn't an exclamation. It was just "Nick." Nick nodded, slightly awkward, as he was not really sure how to officially greet her. Calling her by her first name seemed too formal, but calling her by any of the nicknames that he had previously called her by was completely inappropriate in the current situation. They stood in silence for a moment, listening to the breeze shake the trees surrounding the burrow.

"Let's _talk_ ," she commanded, her anger overcoming her other emotions instantly. Nick's eyebrows rose slightly at her tone, but he wasn't shocked, he was well prepared for this. He could easily play this game of "we're mad, but we aren't going to address it until we are in a place where we can yell at one another at full volume."

"Yes," he replied at ease. " _Let's_."


	5. Chapter 5

"'We're done?' What does that even mean, Nick?"

Judy had closed the front door of her home and walked out to the middle of one of the carrot fields behind it, Nick following behind. Seconds had passed before she had wheeled on him and started yelling, and it didn't take long for them to both be at full volume, in each other's faces, and saying every thing that passed through their minds.

"Oh, I think you know exactly what it means, considering you said it with your actions!"

"I needed time!" Nick's jaw dropped in complete shock. " _For two months?_ Do you have _any_ idea what you put me through?"

"Do you have any idea what you put _me_ through?"

"Actually, no, because I didn't put you through anything compared to what you pulled on me!"

"That's not fair—" Nick held his paws up to stop her. " _Not fair?_ " his voice reached a scream. " _NOT FAIR!_ Don't even start, Judy!"

"You told me that you didn't want to try and work things through!"

"I was having a panic attack, Judy! I wasn't really thinking rationally! I needed time to breathe!"

"So did I!"

"I didn't leave for two months and end our relationship!"

" _You_ ended our relationship, Nick!"

"After you ignored me for weeks! And what the hell was that, by the way? You had me worried sick!"

"I didn't ignore you, I just told you that I needed time!"

"From what? Huh? From what, Judy? From me?" Nick pointed at himself and then shook his head angrily. "It couldn't have been from me because I was trying to get space too! So what did you need space from, the apartment? Your job? How about your _life?_ " Nick could hear Judy grinding her teeth in the back of her mouth. "I just needed space, okay? Quit acting like you're the victim here! You run into some animals from your childhood and you lose your mind!" she screamed back at him. Nick's voice dropped to a hiss as his ears glued down against his head. " _Oh_ , do _not_ go there, Rabbit, because if you play that game, _you will lose!_ "

"You know I'm right! _You are emotional!_ "

"You better check yourself, Bunny!" Nick took two steps forward, now right in Judy's face, their personal "bubbles" becoming one. "What are you going to do, Fox, _attack me_?" she spat in his face. Nick clamped his jaw shut as he swallowed the first words that came to mind. "The thought that you think I would proves how broken we were to begin with," he hissed back. "Oh no, don't you put this on me! 'We' were not broken, it was _you!_ "

"Of course it was! It's _always_ me!" Nick threw his paws in the air and turned away from her, putting distance between them. Judy laughed darkly. " _YOU'RE PLAYING THE VICTIM RIGHT NOW!_ "

"Oh, _I'm_ the victim, what about _you?_ Let's talk about how you _purposely_ ignore me when you are feeling bad, just because you know I'll worry about you until you tell me! That's called fishing for pity!" Judy let an audible gasp escape her lips. " _I do not 'fish for pity!_ " Nick nodded his head, his eyebrows raised. "Oh, yeah you do, Carrots!"

"Don't call me that!"

"Oh, right! I completely forgot that you aren't my _life mate_ anymore so I can't call you that!" Judy stopped and looked at him, silence falling between them for the first time in minutes. "What?" she whispered. Nick had begun pacing up and down the row of carrots that they had been arguing in, but he now stopped and looked at her. "What did you just say?" Nick shrugged his shoulders in an uncommitted reply. "I don't know what you are talking about, Judy, just tell me."

"You called me your life mate…" Nick froze. He hadn't meant to say that out loud, not now, not any time soon. Nick never had blatantly stated that they were life mates before, even though he had glossed over it in conversation, simply because it was a serious ordeal, especially to a fox. "I-I didn't mean to, sorry," Nick replied bitterly. "And why do you even care? Not like we are even partners, much less anything more than that!"

"Why didn't you tell me? I would have—"

"Would have _what?_ " Nick came close to her face again. "You would have stayed? You would have cared? You wouldn't have acted like this? What is it you would have done?"

"I—"

"You would have done _nothing!_ You would have still left me! You would have still put me through hell! You would have still made me feel less than I am!"

"I would have tried!" Judy screamed back, tears in her eyes. Nick clenched his paws into fists, his chest heaving, as he leaned in even closer. "You aren't even trying now!"

"I am! I am trying now!"

"Prove it then!" he challenged. She kissed him. It was sudden and it took Nick aback, but he let her. Knowing he shouldn't, he let himself melt into her kiss, returning it with just as much effort, and he didn't know why he let himself do it. Before, Nick had started to resent her for what she had done to him, but now, he couldn't help but be paralyzed at her touch. A few seconds of bliss passed before Judy broke the kiss. Leaning back slightly, she looked up at Nick, tears still threatening to spill from her eyes. "I-I'm sorry, I d-didn't mean to—" Nick pressed his lips to hers, silencing her before breaking the second kiss himself. "It's okay." Judy's ears drooped down. "Do you really think I fish for pity?" Her voice and expression were soft, desperation underlying her tone. Nick just looked at her, astonished that they had been yelling at the top of their lungs a minute ago and now they were just talking. "No, I don't… I didn't mean that, I was just mad…" Judy burst into tears, making Nick's eyes widen in immediate surprise; the emotional rollercoaster had him hanging on for dear life. "I'm sorry!" she bawled. "I-I shouldn't have left and I s-shouldn't have said those t-things! I'm just a h-horrible life mate!" Nick's heart fell in his chest. "Judy, no, that's not what—"

"Please don't call me J-Judy!" she sobbed, tearing streaming down her cheeks. "I j-just want you to call me Carrots and e-everything be o-okay!" Nick couldn't help but chuckle lightly. "And you called me emotional." Judy gave a grim smile as she attempted to wipe the tears from her face. "You probably hate me," she sniffled. Nick's expression hardened as he thought of how to best respond. Taking a small step back, Nick placed his paws on Judy's shoulders, holding her in place. "Look, Ju-Carrots, we aren't going to pretend like this didn't happen, because this definitely happened. You just left me…" Nick paused, struggling with the right words. "I just… I don't understand why you would do that to me."

"I was wrong, I shouldn't have left. I'm so sorry—"

"Why did you leave?"

"What?"

"You keep apologizing for leaving but I want to know why you left in the first place. Why didn't you return my calls or my messages? Why didn't you come back?"

"Return your calls or messages? I left my phone in Zootopia." Nick shook his head in frustration. "Stop messing with me, Rabbit. I know you took your phone."

"No, Nick, I didn't. I left it in your apartment, underneath the couch. You know I slide it under there when I sleep."

"But you just asked me what 'we're done' meant a minute ago!"

"Well, that's what you wrote in the letter!"

"Letter?"

"You sent me a letter a month ago, remember?"

"I never sent you a letter." Nick and Judy stared at one another as they realized that they hadn't been talking to each other at all. Nick's jaw fell open as the puzzle pieces fell in place. "You're out here investigating the bunny who keeps having his crops stolen. The one Bogo told me to come and check out after finding you."

"Yeah, everyone kept ignoring the calls on this case for months, so I came down. What did you think I was out here for?" Judy gave Nick a skeptical look, while Nick was trying to remember that last night they had seen each other. "That day when you left the apartment and said you were going home, you meant your apartment."

"Well, yeah, the monorail left at eight that night, I had to get the last of my stuff before the land lord officially took my key, since I'm not really living there anymore."

"Why were you out here for so long? Everyone thought you had gone missing!"

"The case opened up to be bigger than I thought. There are over ten animals having their crops stolen." Nick inhaled deeply. "We have been completely backwards the entire time." Judy's amethyst eyes widened, as she remained completely confused on what was going on. "What do you mean?"

"I forgot that you were leaving that night to come out here for that case, because I had that panic attack. I thought you were coming to Bunnyburrow to get away from me, but you were just going to your apartment! Then you never returned my calls or my texts, so I assumed you were ignoring me, but your phone was sitting underneath me, beneath the couch the entire time. And with no one caring about animals having a few crops missing, no one at the department ever followed up on this case or on the fact that you said you would go!" Nick could see the realization in Judy's face, and could sense the gears in her brain start turning. "Wait, so that letter I got—?"

"It wasn't from me, Carrots! It wasn't from me! Someone is messing with us big time."

"Wait, then how did you know that we were done if you didn't know I got that letter?"

"I sent you a text message saying the same thing, and the only way someone could have known what I had sent you is if they had your phone, and I never heard it go off when I was calling you, which means—"

"My phone isn't under the couch."

"Someone has been in our apartment."


	6. Chapter 6

"Oh, put that thing away, Nick!"

"No!"

"You lived in this apartment for two months after I left and now you want to go in with your gun pulled? Are you crazy?"

"What if someone is in there?"

"Why would anyone be in there?"

Nick and Judy sat crouched outside of their apartment, their voices in hushed whispers. Nick had his tranquilizer gun in his paws, his foot ready to kick down the door. Judy had stopped him immediately.

"They might have known I was going to Bunnyburrow and decided to drop by! What happened to thinking like a cop?"

"Oh, I doubt it, and don't question me as a cop – will you _please_ get your foot off of the door? You are going to get paw prints all over it!"

"I'm getting ready to make an entrance, Rabbit!"

"You are not kicking down the front door, Nick!" Nick dropped his foot from the door and pouted, looking right at Judy, who had her arms crossed in a way that said she wasn't playing games. With a very smug attitude, Judy removed her key to the apartment from her pocket, waved it teasingly in front of Nick, and then slid it into the lock of the door. "Foxes, always in it for the show," Judy muttered, before chuckling after noticing Nick's eyebrows rise at her comment. Slowly, she unlocked the door and quietly nudged it open, peering inside the dark apartment. Her paws immediately fell to her sides, her ears instantly laying down flat. "Oh sweet cheese and crackers."

"What? Carrots, what is it? Is there someone in there?" Nick prepared to take aim, holding the gun up as he waited for Judy's response. Judy shot him a sideways glare and then stood, throwing the door open and flicking on the lights in one move. " _The apartment is a mess!_ " she yelled. Nick cringed and attempted to slink away, but Judy caught him by the collar of his shirt. "Nick, what did you do? This place looks like a stampede went through here!"

"I was busy…?" It was more of a question than an answer, as if he were trying to convince himself as well as her. Judy's cheeks puffed slightly, trying to control her rage. She released Nick's collar and walked into the apartment, stopping once she was a few feet in and could see the extent of the mess. Her paws went to her waist, her foot thumping rapidly against the wooden floor. Nick stood and fixed his shirt slightly and cleared his throat, awkwardly; he didn't need a lecture from her about cleanliness. "Uh, let's start looking for signs of a break-in."

"That'll be easy to do with all of _this_." Judy picked up one of the filthy dishes that Nick hadn't touched since he'd used it, which must have been weeks ago, off of the coffee table, and gestured with it before setting it back down. Nick stuck his tongue out at her, before turning his attention back to the details of the "scene." He began to inspect the couch, knowing that that was the best place to check at the moment. "Nick?"

"Find something?"

"No, I have a question."

"Is it about why the place is a mess, because if so, I'm not answering."

"No, it's not." Judy didn't make a noise, much less laugh, at his joke, which made him turn his attention towards her to see what the problem was. She was holding one of Nick's discarded Hawaiian shirts that had been lying on the edge of the couch, but she was holding it in a funny way; it looked like she was cuddling the fabric. Her eyes were slightly glossed over as if she could cry at any moment. "Okay, what's your question?" Nick asked, his tone light and gentle as he could see something was clearly bothering her. "Did you really want to, you know, be done?"

"Carrots, that was one big misunderstanding."

"Yes, but did you mean it? Do you still mean it?" Her sulky voice carried across the room in a volume just above a whisper. Nick stared at her from where he was crouching on the floor in front of the couch, before standing and walking to her, carefully bringing her into his arms. "If I meant it, I wouldn't have let you attack me with your mouth in that field… and I certainly wouldn't have taken that three-hour-yelling from your parents…"

"It wasn't a three-hour-yelling! It was ten minutes, and it was a lecture."

"Right, same difference." Judy playfully slapped his chest, making Nick chuckle slightly. "I'm still sorry, Nick."

"Don't be, we've been through worse."

"I don't know, this was pretty bad…"

"But we'll get through it." Nick hugged Judy closely, feeling her arms wrap around him and hug him back. Then, with a small kiss on the top of her head, Nick released her and looked into her bright eyes. "We are going to figure this out, Carrots, and it will take time, but we'll do it, okay?" Judy nodded, a small smile on her face. With a final look of reassurance, Nick went back to the couch. He turned on his phone's flashlight and began sweeping the light underneath the couch as he pressed his face to the floor in order to see. "Well, I don't really see any—Wait." Nick extended a paw and reached under the couch. Pulling his paw back, Judy saw that he was holding a piece of fur that was reddish-brown. "It looks like it came from a red panda, or a mouse, maybe?"

"Or a bank vole." Nick looked up at Judy, anger flashing in his eyes. "It was _them_ ," he growled. Judy's face fell, as well as her ears. She had thought that Nick was managing this whole "running-into-past-bullies" thing by now, but she could tell that things had only gotten worse. Guilt flooded through her as she realized that she had not only left Nick, but she had left him at the worse time possible. Judy walked closer and crouched down to where Nick was bent in front of the couch. "Nick… I don't think it was—"

"Well it doesn't matter what we _think_ , because we are getting ready to _know_."


	7. Chapter 7

"Nick, wait!"

The glass doors slammed open to the diner as Nick pushed them open with a force that seemed impossible for him. Judy was close behind, having to slide in between the closing doors as she tried to keep up with the fox that was currently fueled with rage. Everyone in the diner jumped in surprise, some dropped their silverware, some froze, some gave disapproving looks. The young white-tailed doe hostess dropped the stack of menus she had been carrying and froze, the otter family she had been escorting to their seats huddled together in fear of the fox.

"Nick, what's going on—"

"Who were those animals, Dawn?"

"What animals—"

"They're regulars here, aren't they? Who are they?" Nick growled at the doe. Judy stepped in, putting herself between the two. She placed a paw on Nick's chest to let him know that she would stop him if things became too aggressive, even though she knew Nick would never take things that far. "Nick, she doesn't know who you are talking about. There are dozens of animals in here every hour!"

"Who are _they?_ " Judy felt the growl in his chest with her paw; it frightened her slightly, but she held her ground. "Judy, what's going on?" Dawn asked in petrified voice. "Dawn, there's a group of animals that may come here often. It's a zebra, a bank vole, a donkey, and a hippo, I think." Another growl vibrated through Nick's chest and to Judy's paw. "We need to know their names. Now." Dawn nodded her head quickly before stumbling over her hooves to the wooden podium that welcomed customers when they first entered the diner. A large red book filled with every customer's name and possible contact information sat upon the wood. Both Dawn and Judy knew that there was no guarantee that the names Nick was looking for would be in that book, but it was the only thing they had at the moment. Dawn began flipping through the book's pages, her hooves shaking to the point that she fumbled a few times. "I-I don't see them in h-here," Dawn stuttered. Nick let out a vicious snarl. Judy knew his reaction wasn't directed at Dawn or because of her, but rather because they had hit a dead end. Gesturing at Dawn, hoping that she wouldn't hate Nick later, Judy let her know to continue working and escort the otter family to a booth. Dawn didn't hesitate and the group was gone moments later. Judy turned to Nick, both of her paws now on his chest, restraining him more securely. "Look, we can go to the ZPD, we can try to find some files there."

"That'll take too long!" Nick was shaking from anger, his paws balled in tight fists by his sides. Much to Judy's horror, Nick's teeth were slightly bared, glinting in the evening light that was streaming through the windows of the diner. "No, it won't, we just need a name and we can figure this out." Nick suddenly went still, his eyebrows raised and his eyes staring off into oblivion. "Plains. Jim Plains. _His name is Jim freaking Plains_." He was gone, racing out of the diner's doors and down the sidewalk to their SUV. "What? Nick!" Judy ran after him once again, barely making it into the passenger's seat of the car before Nick reversed, changed gears, and then slammed his foot against the accelerant. "Nick, where are we going?" Judy exclaimed in surprise. "The suits, Carrots!"

"What—?"

"They were all wearing suits that day, and the zebra introduced himself to me - Jim Plains. From what I saw that day, how they acted, they work at the same place."

"How can you make that assumption?"

"They were acting as if they see each other every day, not like it had been years since they had seen one another! They work together! And if they were eating at the diner, and still live somewhat near the area we did when we were kids, then I know exactly where they work."

"Wow." Judy caught her breath. "That was quite some detective work, Nick." Nick chuckled. "I'm a con artist, Carrots."

" _Were_ a con artist," Judy corrected. Nick shot her a sideways glance, a nervous appearance falling over his character. Judy's eyes narrowed. "Nick? You _were_ a con artist, right?"

"Uh, sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Nick!"

"Oh, look! We're here!" Nick slammed the brakes, threw the car in park, and jumped out in one fluent motion. Judy was still sitting in her seat, completely flabbergasted. "Nicholas Wilde, we are not done talking!"

"We can talk about it when I get back! Stay there!" he called back over his shoulder. Judy huffed, astonished at the thought of waiting in the car. Without a second thought, Judy hopped out of the car and followed Nick into a large skyscraper that was entirely made up of glass and steel. The lobby was absolutely beautiful; a large crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, black velvet pieces of furniture were placed in elegant patterns around various silver-painted coffee tables, and a massive mahogany reception desk sat against the far wall that featured a cascading waterfall. Nick was already at the reception desk, a smug look playing across his face as he flirted with the snow leopard receptionist. Judy scowled as she saw the show he was putting on for her. One minute he was a predator threatening an entire diner, the next he was a player tugging at everyone's heartstrings. She made her way up to the desk, her ears tuned to listen to every word being exchanged.

"Oh, really? That is so fascinating!" the leopard giggled, a blush spreading across her face. "Yeah," Nick shrugged lazily. "Being a private detective is quite the job." Judy's jaw dropped, momentarily astounded at how thick he was acting. However, a devilish look slowly spread across her face as she realized how much fun this was about to be. Putting on a face of false surprise, she spoke, her voice ringing out in a sickly sweet tone.

"Private Detective Wilde, what a surprise!" Judy noticed how Nick's shoulders tensed before he turned around, a look of horror flashing in his eyes. "Ah, J-Judy, how good it is to see you too! I wasn't expecting you to _be here_." Judy heard the stress in the last two words, and smirked at him.

"Whose this?" the leopard asked Nick with a jealous tone. "Oh, me?" Judy cut in. The big cat looked at her, a resentful look in her bright blue eyes. "I'm just his wife! Judy Hopps, very nice to meet you." Nick's ears quickly fell flat at the word "wife;" surely she wasn't going to go there. Oh, but she did. "I was just coming here to meet with Mr. Plains. He's an old friend of ours, and I thought that we should tell him we are _expecting_." The leopard's eyes widened slightly at the sudden change in the atmosphere. From what she could tell, she had just flirted with a husband and father-to-be, and her sudden posture that gave an uncomfortable appearance gave that away. "O-oh, of course. I'll let him know you're on your way up."

"Oh, can we keep a surprise? I would greatly appreciate it," Judy smiled sweetly. Nick looked on in absolute horror. "Oh, yes. He's on the fifth floor, head office. Uh, congratulations," the leopard faked a smile. Judy thanked her and then turned to Nick, taking his paw gently. "Come on, Honey, let's go tell Jim the big news!"

Judy continued to act as a sweet "pregnant wife" as she dragged her "husband" to the elevator. She even gave a small wave to the receptionist before the sliding metal doors closed, all for good measure. Once the doors had shut, she fixed Nick with a deadly gaze.

"Private detective, huh?"

"Pregnant wife? Seriously?" Nick's face looked empty, as if he had lost all of his color. Judy couldn't help but laugh. "That was good and you know it."

"No, it wasn't!"

"What, were you worried there for a second?" Nick swallowed loudly, and Judy suddenly went silent. "Uh, anyway, I got us in."

"Yeah. Good work."

"Yep." An awkward silence fell between the two as the elevator passed the third floor. They both stood still, staring at the doors in front of them. "Uhm, what I said back there, about being your pregnant wife… I was just messing around, you know?"

"Yeah."

"It's not like we would…"

"Right."

"I mean, unless we… uh, never mind." Nick glanced at Judy before turning his attention back to the doors of the elevator. "Unless we what?" Judy's face flushed a dark shade of pink. "Unless w-we decided to do _that_ …" This time, it was Nick's face that blushed violently. "W-would we decide t-that?"

"I don't know." Silence descended once more, the quiet humming of the elevator filling the void. Nick cleared his throat. "I would." Judy's head shot up, looking directly at Nick, who was standing with his paws in his pockets, a smile on his face. "Wait, you would—?" Just then, they were interrupted by the elevator coming to a halt and the doors sliding open to reveal a bank vole, a hippopotamus, a donkey, and a zebra all laughing and chatting as they waited for the elevator. All six fell silent at the sight of one another.


	8. Chapter 8

A low growl escaped Nick's throat as the six stood before one another, all showing mixed expressions. "Mr. Plains," Judy stepped forward and removed her police badge from her belt and held it out to show the zebra. "We'd like to talk to you and your pals."

"What is this about?"

"Can we talk somewhere privately?"

"Of course, right this way." Mr. Plains led the group to a nearby conference room that was unoccupied. The room was massive, but a large conference table that could easily seat sixteen took up the majority of the space. Mr. Plains sat at the lone chair that was located at the head of the table, as the others filed in around him. Judy and Nick remained standing, Judy casually meandering around the table, Nick slumped moodily against the wall by the door. "We just had a few questions, Mr. Plains. It shouldn't take long."

"Sure, go ahead." Judy stopped and looked at Nick, who was still leaning against the wall, his arms crossed as he assessed the group. "Nick, after you," she stated politely. Nick's ears rose slightly in surprise; why was she letting him ask the questions when she had seen how sensitive he was to all of this? Nick stood and made his way to the end of the table, his body at ease. "Well, _Jim_ , we seem to have recently found ourselves in a predicament." Nick placed one paw on the back of Mr. Plains' chair, the other on the edge of the table so that he was easily within the zebra's personal space, already making him uncomfortable. The zebra cleared his throat. "We do?"

"Oh, ha," Nick chuckled lightly. "Not you. My partner and I have a predicament."

"And what would that be, Officer?" Nick smirked. "Officer? Oh, Jim, we both know that you - and the rest of your buddies, for that matter - know who I am."

"Then what is the problem, Nick?" The zebra remained calm and patient, but it was clear that he was growing increasingly flustered by Nick's interrogation games. Judy stood nearby with her arms folded over her chest, ready to intervene if the situation called for it. "It's quite funny, Jim. You see that bunny over there?" Nick gestured a paw into Judy's direction. "That's my life mate." All four seated animals tensed immediately. "A-an interspecies relationship!" the bank vole whispered in horror. Nick immediately turned on him. "But you already knew that, didn't you? You know, since you've got her phone and all." The bank vole's eyes widened. "I-I don't k-know what you're talking about!" His voice was squeaky as he fumbled over his words. Nick nodded and then reached into his pocket, removing his phone. He then waved it in the air, high enough for everyone to see, before he clicked away on it. To the bank vole's absolute dread, the sound of a phone ringing then filled the silent conference room.

"Gotcha," Nick growled through gritted teeth. The zebra stood swiftly, his chair swiveling away from the sudden impact. "Now what is this all about, Nick?" Nick turned to Mr. Plains, who was clearly trying to pass his anxiety off as confusion and aggravation, and fixed him with a lazy stare. "When were you in my apartment, Jim?"

"Excuse me—"

"When. Were. You. In. My. Apartment?" Nick growled menacingly. "I have never been in your home—"

"Quit the games, Jim, we both know that you were in my apartment! The rodent's got my partner's phone in his pocket for God's sake! Now, I don't care if it was one of you or all four of you, I want to know why you were in my apartment and how you got in there!" All four of the animals remained silent, anxious expressions showing on all of their faces. They glanced at each other a few times as if they could come up with an escape plan through eye contact, but no other movements were made. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Mr. Plains cleared his throat. "I'd like to see my lawyer." Nick almost lost it then, his anger quickly rising at the "L-word," but he managed to remain levelheaded until he had exited the room. Judy was the one who read the four animals their rights, and then called for back up to have the group taken down to the ZPD for questioning. After back up had arrived and the animals had been escorted away (much to their displeasure), Judy went looking for Nick. She found him in their SUV.

"You okay?" Nick didn't reply. Rather, he gave her a look that seemed to read "seriously?" Judy looked down at the cushioned seats of the car before attempting a conversation again. "Look, it's going to be okay. We've got them."

"Yeah, lawyer and all."

"That won't get them very far." Nick scoffed and Judy sighed. "You're being overdramatic."

"Says the bunny who just disappeared."

"That was for a case!" Judy took a deep breath. "I don't want to fight. I'm just trying to help." Nick remained silent, but she knew that he was aware of how important she was. Yes, they had both made mistakes. Yes, they had overreacted, and they were continuing to overreact. However, Judy and Nick had been through a lot, and they would always need each other. The drive back to their apartment was quiet, but not necessarily awkward. Once home, Nick went to the bathroom and took a shower, while Judy plugged her phone into its charger, slid it under the couch, and flicked on the television. The night went by somewhat slowly as the couple went about their usual nighttime routine. Nick showered, changed into a more comfortable outfit, and grabbed something small to eat out of the fridge. Judy laid out her outfit for the next day, made herself a small meal that mainly consisted of vegetables, washed her face, made her little bed on the couch, and set her alarm for the following morning.

"Night, Carrots," Nick said as he made his way back to his room. "Night, Nick."


	9. Chapter 9

The following morning, the fox and the bunny were abruptly awoken by a pounding at their apartment door. Judy was the first to stumble up from her place on the couch and answer the door; she could hear Nick muttering things under his breath as he was making his way down the hall. After unlocking the door and pulling it open quickly, she was somewhat surprised to see Chief Bogo… and then she was worried. "Chief? What's going on?" Judy asked as she noticed the three large officers who were accompanying the Chief. "Where's Wilde?"

"I'm right here. What's going on?" Nick asked as he came into view at the door, his paw resting lazily on the doorframe. "Officer Wilde, we're going to need you to come with us," one of the three officers, a polar bear, stated. "What for?"

"Wilde, don't make this difficult," the Chief snapped. Nick gave them all a bewildered look, while Judy stood in silence. "What?" The Chief sighed as he nodded at the officers. The officer who had just spoken to Nick stepped forward. "Nicholas Wilde, you are under arrest for assaulting Jim Plains at approximately 2:00 PM yesterday afternoon," Judy gasped suddenly, putting her paws over her mouth. Nick began to shake his head. "No, no, no. What is going on?" The officer continued as he removed a pair of handcuffs from his belt and began to turn Nick around. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police and to have an attorney present during questioning now or in the future. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you before any questioning if you wish." Nick pulled his paws away from the polar bear, an immediate resisting of arrest. The Chief reached out and gently pulled Judy out into the hallway, away from the commotion. At the resist, all three officers began to retrain Nick, who was shouting. "Chief, they can't do this! Nick did not assault Plains, he was arrested!" Judy cried as she watched in horror. The Chief opened his mouth to respond, but then the unthinkable happened. In an instant, the situation escalated to a very violent level: One of the other two officers pulled out a muzzle from his belt. Everything seemed to slow down as Judy reached out, ready to grab Nick, but was restrained by the Chief. A look of pure fear flickered over Nick's face as he caught sight of the metal contraption, and before he had time to react, the muzzle was forced over his face. The look in Nick's eyes was enough to make Judy's heart break. She fought in vain against the massive ox, watching Nick's eyes widen as the muzzle was secured. She heard his breathing turn rapid, saw his whole body begin to shake, saw the fear become a permanent part of his face.

"Take it off! _Take it off of him!_ " Judy screamed. They didn't. Once the muzzle was secure, they locked the handcuffs over Nick's paws, his arms held behind his back. Nick was hyperventilating, unable to say a word with the metal mask restraining his jaws. "Nick, it's okay! I'm right here, okay? I am right here! _Take it off right now!_ " she continued to yell at the officers. Judy fought against the Chief's grip violently, and from the look in his eye, he wasn't enjoying a moment of it, but it was part of the job. "Hopps, settle down," he stated in a gentle, yet firm, tone. "Nick, it's okay! Look at me! Look at me, Nick! _Breathe!_ You are fine! I'm not going to let them hurt you, okay? You stay calm! Just breathe!" Judy saw Nick attempt to take deep breaths, but the more he tried to breathe, the more he felt the strangling of the metal. "Please, take it off! You're hurting him! He can't even breathe for God's sake!" Judy looked up at the Chief. "Tell them!" The Chief looked up at the officers, and with pain and guilt in his expression, he nodded at them. With the signal, the three officers removed Nick from the hallway and took him down to the patrol car that was parked outside. " _No!_ Nick! Just breathe! It's going to be okay!" Judy screamed after them. Once the four had departed, the Chief tried to reason with Judy. "Hopps. Hopps, listen to me."

"No! They took Nick! He can't have a muzzle on! He has panic attacks!"

"Hopps, he was resisting arrest, and he's an officer."

"He was resisting arrest because he didn't do anything!"

"He assaulted an animal who is very high up in the corporate chain."

"Oh, Nick didn't touch him!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! I was there! Nick didn't lay a paw on that jerk!"

"Why were you two there?"

"Plains and his buddies were in our apartment!"

"And you didn't file a report?" The Chief's voice rose slightly as he began to understand the severity of the case. "No, well, I was going to! I was a bit busy!"

"Too busy to file a report on a case that you were not legally allowed to handle due to subject of interest?" the Chief snapped. "Yes, I was!" Judy yelled back. "With what were you so busy with, Hopps?" Judy finally stopped fighting him and looked right into his eyes. "Those _monsters_ knew Nick as a kid," she hissed. "They forced a muzzle on him and _bullied_ him. Now, _let me go_ so that I can make sure that _my life mate who you just muzzled_ is okay!" The Chief stared back at her with an expressionless face. She had just screamed that the two were life mates, that they had been personally involved in a case for more than a few weeks, and a few more things. After a moment of thought, the ox released her. "Fine, we can go down to the ZPD together." Judy sighed with relief. "Thank you," she breathed, tears in her eyes. She turned to leave, but the Chief caught her arm once more. "And Hopps? Pretend this conversation didn't happen and I'll pretend that you aren't fraternizing with your partner." Judy gave him a grateful smile and nodded. "Don't need my best team separated because of love," the Chief muttered as the two left.


	10. Chapter 10

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"It's final, Hopps!"

"Chief, these animals broke into our home! They stole my cellphone!"

"And I've got officers looking into it right now, but you and Wilde are off of this case. Here." The Chief took a small plastic bag out of the top drawer of his desk and slid it across the surface toward Judy. Judy picked it up and opened the bag, grabbing her cellphone out of it before tossing the plastic in the trashcan next to the desk. "I managed to get that back, but my word is final."

"This isn't fair."

"To who?"

"To Nick!"

"If I'm correct, Wilde has personal ties to this case, and since you have personal ties to Wilde, you both are off the case!"

"Nick receives no justice on this."

"Justice for what? Keep in mind Hopps that Wilde's past with these animals has nothing to do with the case. Wilde has let his emotions cloud his judgment; he has no need to seek justice for this." Judy sighed heavily, knowing that the Chief was right. "Well, then what happens now?"

"You and Wilde go about your lives. I have officers looking into the breaking and entering, and theft, of your home."

"And Plains?"

"What about him?"

"He gets away clean with this?"

"Hopps, no offense, but the crime isn't that serious, and you've got your cellphone back. Plains is threatening to sue the ZPD for his assault—"

"He wasn't assaulted!"

"It's your word against his, and I don't need a lawsuit on my tail! It's final! You and Wilde will leave Plains alone!" Judy scoffed. "You can't check security tapes or anything?"

"He is threatening to sue us!"

"Ugh!" Judy yelled, throwing her paws in the air. "Plains is a conniving, scheming, lying—"

"It doesn't matter what he is, he has a restraining order on both of you!"

" _What?_ "

"You heard me, Hopps! Do. Not. Get. Involved." Judy balled her paws into tight fists and held them at her sides as she tried to control her anger. "Fine," she finally huffed after a few seconds of silence. "How's Nick?" The Chief hesitated. "He's fine." Judy shook her head in frustration. "Yes, because if I was forced to face a fear of mine, I would be 'fine' too," she spat bitterly. "Watch it, Hopps."

"What about the assault charges?"

"Plains agreed to drop them under the conditions that the restraining orders were put in place. He then threatened to sue if the conditions were violated." Judy nodded her head. "Okay. May I see Nick?"

"He's in custody downstairs. You can get him if you like." With a final nod, Judy made her way to the door. As her paw touched the handle, the Chief called out one more time. "Oh, and Hopps, you and Wilde take the rest of the day off to cool down." Without turning to look at him, Judy replied. "With all due respect, Chief, after what you did to him this morning, I was planning on doing that anyway."

Judy walked down to the basement where temporary custody was set up. She talked to the security guards, filled out the paperwork, and retrieved Nick's personal belongings. Then, she sat on an uncomfortable plastic chair in a small waiting room as she waited for them to release Nick. The sight of Nick almost made Judy's heart break. He was ruffled up, clearly exhausted and traumatized. When he saw Judy, he didn't say a single word, he just hugged her. She held him tight for a few seconds before the two went back upstairs and outside to their SUV. Judy didn't feel like leaving just yet, so they sat in the car, the engine turned on and the air conditioning unit on. "You okay?" she asked nervously, not really sure what to do. "Yeah," he replied nonchalantly as he smoothed his ruffled fur. Judy was somewhat take aback by his calm reaction. What was he feeling? Was he mad at her for not doing more? Could she have done more? "Really?"

"Yeah, honestly. That was uh, that was crazy," he chuckled lightly. Judy reached out and took his paw, squeezing it gently; she was going to be here for him no matter what. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"What's there to talk about? You were there, Carrots."

"I know, but I just want to make sure you're okay." Nick looked up at her and squeezed her paw back. "I know you do, and I promise I am. They removed the muzzle as soon as we got here, so it wasn't on long. I just had to breathe and remain calm." Judy smiled. "I was so worried," she whispered. "I was worried too, but this case is over, and I think it's time to leave the past where it belongs." Nick leaned in and kissed Judy's forehead gently. "Thank you, Carrots."

"For?"

"For being here for me." Judy smiled and kissed him deeply as a reply. They had been through so much in the few years they had known one another, and they knew that they would go through so much more, but that was okay. They were life mates, and these things were part of the description, which in a way, made it even more special. "It was my pleasure," she smiled sweetly after pulling away. She then started the car and began to pull out of the ZPD parking lot. "Hey, Carrots?"

"Yeah?"

"I _really_ hate being muzzled," he laughed as he grabbed his sunglasses from the pocket in the side of the passenger seat's car door and slid them over his eyes. Judy couldn't help but laugh. "I really hate you being muzzled, too."

"You do?"

"Of course, and besides, nothing can contain you."

"Ha, you've got me there. I'm one in a million. However…" Judy looked over at him. "What?" Nick smirked as he returned the glance. "You muzzle me, but you know, in a good way. I love the way you muzzle me," he stated with a wink. At that, Judy and Nick burst out laughing.

* * *

 _ **Well, that's the end! I thought that this would be the best place to end the story. I hope everyone enjoyed the story. I know that this one was a little bit emotional, but my newest story, "Secrets" is hilarious, so if you need something to soothe the weeping, I recommend that, haha :D I know that there was not a true "resolution," but I felt it was pointless to continue to "beat a dead horse," in a sense, and continue to have conflict. On the topic of resolution, I technically offer a resolution to this in my latest chapter of "Secrets," if you are really that interested. Again, I hope everyone enjoyed it, and I thank all of my readers for their loyal support!**_

 _ **Love you all,**_

 _ **TatorTotTottish**_


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